It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

maddiemay

Woolsery said:

QueenJess said:

That’s what batteries and undersea cables are for. Nuclear is horribly expensive and the lead time is enormous.

The new small nuclear stations don't take as long as the old. Although they have their problems, other technologies do too. The question that needs answering is why we are in this foreseeable position. In connection with that, bear in mind the well-off  already have the batteries you speak of, so won't be seriously affected by rationing of electricity. I can't see HRH up at Highgrove doing without his crumpets.

Written with smile on my face - In response to your Twitter worthy throw away remark - HRH at Highgrove does not make policy, however much he might like to.

-taff

HRH has always seemed to me to be someone who cared about the environment so that doesn't make any sense to me. Besides, it's not a newsflash that they are rich.

Woolsery

maddiemay said:

Woolsery said:

QueenJess said:

That’s what batteries and undersea cables are for. Nuclear is horribly expensive and the lead time is enormous.

The new small nuclear stations don't take as long as the old. Although they have their problems, other technologies do too. The question that needs answering is why we are in this foreseeable position. In connection with that, bear in mind the well-off  already have the batteries you speak of, so won't be seriously affected by rationing of electricity. I can't see HRH up at Highgrove doing without his crumpets.

Written with smile on my face - In response to your Twitter worthy throw away remark - HRH at Highgrove does not make policy, however much he might like to.

I beg to disagree. He's very much on board with the WEF, but  they're a conspiracy theory, so you can cheerfully dismiss them, although their agenda looks bang on target for 2030 to me. Klaus himself is on record as saying proudly they had 'penetrated' all the significant Westren cabinets. The image created there doesn't bear thinking about!

Arguing here won't achieve anything though. The practical measures we are all making will make a difference and given ultimate power I'd  want to reduce human environmental impact too, just not in quite the same ways as those who do are planning it.

Now back to the woolly socks and grow your own....

EssexHebridean

Loving the 5 things lists - thanks to @Deleted_User I think it was who started them off. Had a bit of a think about mine…
1) MSE and gaining the skills to budget - including the “pots” system that means expected expenditure is covered ahead of time
2) the freezers and having the space and finances for a storecupboard. 

3) Apps on things like smartphone and iPad for making it so much easier than it would have been years ago to keep track of bank balances, regularly check that all is well and make transactions.
4) having a small amount of outdoor space in spite of being in a flat. This means we can dry washing outside for much of the year, and also grow some produce - we have gooseberry and redcurrant bushes, space for a wigwam for beans (great idea about popping a seed in each hole with the seedlings too!), space for pots with tomatoes, herbs etc, and a bed which this year is getting parsnips and chard - last year was the worlds most prolific courgettes! 

5) Having the knowledge to meal plan, cook from scratch and make the most of good value ingredients 

I’m sure others will occur to me, but these are the immediates. No cooking appliances on there as we have nothing that I could manage without relatively easily if needed - if a I was to put one on though it would be the breadmaker which enables us to almost never have to buy bread or rolls and saves us a fortune over the lifetime of the machine.

fritzie-65

QueenJess said:

That’s what batteries and undersea cables are for. Nuclear is horribly expensive and the lead time is enormous.

Sorry I am being thick here - have a heavy head cold so please excuse me - what batteries ? how are they charged ? with electricity ? generated by what means -

Woolsery

fritzie-65 said:

QueenJess said:

That’s what batteries and undersea cables are for. Nuclear is horribly expensive and the lead time is enormous.

Sorry I am being thick here - have a heavy head cold so please excuse me - what batteries ? how are they charged ? with electricity ? generated by what means -

People who can afford about £8k can add a battery to their solar panel array and use the leccy after sundown. A few people I know already have. A friend in Australia found it was cheaper to add a battery system to his new house than connect to the grid...but that's NSW not the SW of E!

QueenJess

Woolsery said:

fritzie-65 said:

QueenJess said:

That’s what batteries and undersea cables are for. Nuclear is horribly expensive and the lead time is enormous.

Sorry I am being thick here - have a heavy head cold so please excuse me - what batteries ? how are they charged ? with electricity ? generated by what means -

People who can afford about £8k can add a battery to their solar panel array and use the leccy after sundown. A few people I know already have. A friend in Australia found it was cheaper to add a battery system to his new house than connect to the grid...but that's NSW not the SW of E!

It’s true you can buy them yourself, but that isn’t what I meant. We (the country) have the technology to have battery farms so we can store excess energy to use in downtimes.  See here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/09/uk-first-mega-battery-plant-come-online-sheffield-eon-renewable-energy?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Nonnadiluca

I'm constantly amazed/frustrated/ bewildered that the thing that is hardly ever mentioned , rather than panicking about how much energy we can produce, and how, is using less. This, despite the many, many examples of how this can be achieved using good design, insulation etc.  I know " it's too expensive....yadder yadder yadder" , but relying heavily on fossil fuels isn't working out so well for us. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that electronics can be made without standby lights for instance. I know that won't solve the problem but it would save a bit of energy without anyone having to compromise their lifestyle. I live on the sunny south coast and a housing estate has just been built with not a solar panel in sight, this in a council area that has declared a climate emergency! I suppose fitting a few solar panels and a charging point for an EV would have eaten in to the vast profit of the developers.  ( Climbs down from soapbox and hides in a cupboard)

QueenJess

Nonnadiluca said:

I'm constantly amazed/frustrated/ bewildered that the thing that is hardly ever mentioned , rather than panicking about how much energy we can produce, and how, is using less. This, despite the many, many examples of how this can be achieved using good design, insulation etc.  I know " it's too expensive....yadder yadder yadder" , but relying heavily on fossil fuels isn't working out so well for us. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that electronics can be made without standby lights for instance. I know that won't solve the problem but it would save a bit of energy without anyone having to compromise their lifestyle. I live on the sunny south coast and a housing estate has just been built with not a solar panel in sight, this in a council area that has declared a climate emergency! I suppose fitting a few solar panels and a charging point for an EV would have eaten in to the vast profit of the developers.  ( Climbs down from soapbox and hides in a cupboard)

Well the whole insulation thing is the elephant in the room at the moment. We as a country have really poorly insulated houses compared to Europe etc.

Slightly heartening though is that I saw a load of new houses being built and they do have EV charging points.

euronorris

I'm so very far behind on this thread after a busy, long weekend. Hope you're all keeping well.

I went to Alton Towers on Friday with DD. Collected tokens from the sun to get 2 free tickets. Drove up and back in the same day, to avoid booking a hotel room. So left the house at 6.20am and got back at 9.05pm! I took lunch and snacks and drinks for us, so spent very little there. And DD had some Easter money from one of her grandparents to buy a souvenir with.

We line dry (no tumble dryer), meal plan, I've taken inventory of the freezers and been using some odds and ends that had been forgotten about.

One of my big things is yellow sticker items. I did the rounds of 3 supermarkets locally, early doors on Monday, in the hops of some reduced meat (no such luck), but.....in one shop I did get a punnet of grapes for 20p, pack of 4 kiwis for 20p, 3 packs of sliced mushrooms for 10p each, and on leaving they had stacks of carrots, broccoli ans parsnips by the door with a sign saying they were free. So I left the shop with 2 bags full of fruit and veg for 70p!! In another shop, I got some Easter crafting bits for next year, at 90% off.